Facts: According to the World Health Organization, life expectancy in Zimbabwe is 45 for women and 46 for men. 60% of the worlds 40 million people with HIV/AIDS and 2/3 of the worlds AIDS related deaths are in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Zimbabwe, this means that 1.3 million are affected in a population of 11,600,000. Despite the fact that the overall incidence of HIV/ AIDS is declining due to increased awareness of cause, treatment and prevention, 34% of sexually active adults are HIV positive. One third of today's 15 year olds will die from this preventable disease.

Prevention: Education about transmission and prevention has increased at Hospitals, Clinics, Schools and Churches. Early Diagnosis, treatment and lifetime compliance with medication regimes is encouraged. Anti-retrovirals are now available at designated sites along with lab monitoring to measure effectiveness of treatment. Mt Selinda and Chikore Hospitals now offer HIV/AIDS clinics. Early treatment and diagnosis can mean the difference between life and death.

The second most common disease is Malaria which is carried by the Anopheles mosquito which is tiny, silent and has mutated to a more deadly variety which is resistant to drugs that were formerly effective. It claims the life of an African child every 30 seconds. It is a waterborne disease which thrives in the rainy season November to June . There are few mosquito control programs.

Malaria is curable if treated promptly. Left untreated, it progresses to the brain causing convulsions, delerium , coma and death. There is research at the international level to develop drugs that will be more widely available.

Zimbabwe was once the bread basket of Africa, but now drought and poor harvests have led to declining food security and increasing hunger. Maize production has fallen an estimated 46% in 2018 partly as a result of climate change. Rising world food costs and high unemployment compound the problem and make it difficult for many to afford even staple foods. Babies, children the elderly and those with chronic diseases are most at risk for death from malnutrition.

"Zimbabwe's children deserve better. They deserve to go to school, to drink clean water, to receive quality health care and to go to bed without feeling hungry." -

-United Nations

Cholera is a waterborne disease that causes acute, massive diarrhea leading to dehydration and death if not promptly treated. It is curable with with early intervention including re- hydration and antibiotics. It will remain a threat as long as water sources are unreliable. Cholera is highly contagious and spread by personal contact in addition to ingesting contaminated water. Prevention includes careful handwashing with soap, drinking water from protected sources or boiling clear water for 5 minutes. New bore holes [wells] are an ongoing and critical need.

Chikore is a small hospital clinic in a remote area that is difficult to reach due to poor road conditions. It serves a large area that encompasses 40 km including 44 villages. Accessing healthcare is a big challenge and patients arrive on foot, by wagon or wheelbarrow; the more fortunate may have a donkey, ox cart, or occasionally a vehicle. Distance and poverty are the largest deterrents to basic health care and far too many succumb to readily treatable conditions.

A Doctor from Mt. Selinda Hospital visits only once a month; otherwise the nurses manage all the cases to the best of their ability. Chikore Hospital also includes a waiting mothers shelter as well as an HIV Clinic. Medications and supplies are scarce or unavailable and the lack of support and resources constrain primary health care.